Practicing the Piano Intelligently

Most pianists would agree that they would love to improve how efficiently they practice the piano.  While there is no one right way to practice the instrument, there are several ways you can improve how efficiently and effectively you practice.  This article will go through a few different considerations you should keep in mind when thinking about how you practice the instrument.
Plan Out Each Practice Session
To hold yourself accountable and to keep you focused and motivated, you should plan out each practice session that you have.  It's very easy to lose track of what your doing and be very inefficient at the instrument.  Give yourself some solid goals before each practice session and make sure that you see them through.  This is one of the best ways to be efficient.
Hands Separate Practice
Most people think they should practice slowly with hands together and not worry about hands separate practice.  This is flawed advice in my opinion.  If you can't play a piece hands separately, how can you be expected to play the piece hands together?  For this reason, make it easier for yourself and start by practicing hands separately.
Isolate Problem Areas
There is no good reason to practice much else other than the specific passages that give you trouble.  When looking at difficult passages, isolate the exact notes that give you the most trouble and spend most of your time on those notes.  This will make sure you can learn difficult passages the fastest.
Use Slow Practice With Caution
When practicing slowly, you might use motions that you will not use when you play the piece at performance speed.  For that reason, be cautious when practicing slowly.  Make sure you are using the same motions you will be using at a faster speed.  This is the best way to avoid making harmful mistakes when practicing.